Training for Proprioception & Function

By Suzanne Nottingham

Of a handful of terms recently used
in the fitness industry, proprioception and kinesthetic awareness are the most
widely recognized in relation to body awareness. Understanding how movement
affects efficiency can lead to understanding how the body communicates with
itself. The strong influence of yoga, martial-arts-based programs and other
whole-body programs has swung the door open for more program possibilities. With
the new emphasis on creating a connection between mind, body, spirit and
emotion, body awareness represents the next frontier of movement education.

What is proprioception?

Proprioception is an automatic
sensitivity mechanism in the body that sends messages through the central
nervous system (CNS). The CNS then relays information to rest of the body about
how to react and with what amount of tension. Human beings "train" for
proprioception in the quest for efficient everyday movements. Proprioception is
unconscious initially, but can be enhanced with training, according to Greg
Niederlander, an exercise physiologist. Specialized sensory receptors in the
muscles, joints and connective tissues enable the body to process information
from a variety of stimuli, and turn that information into action.

"Through conscious appreciation and
cognitive processing of the body's position in space, the central nervous system
and sensory receptors can be conditioned to be more responsive to length and
tension in the muscles and tendons," says Niederlander. Additionally, the skin,
palms of the hands, soles of the feet and other senses collaborate to
communicate with the brain about muscle tension, weight shifts, load and range
of motion.

"There is a fine line between
proprioception and kinesthetic awareness," says Paul Chek, founder of the CHEK
Institute in Encinitas, Calif. "Improving one often improves the other. For
example, performing any functional exercise that requires you [to] maintain your
center of gravity over your base of support will contribute to improvement of
kinesthetic awareness (a sense of one's whole body), as well as proprioception."
Chek uses an example of skiing at high speed, which requires reflexive movement
intelligence: "When skiing down a mountain at high speed, all at once you must
be able to sense the position of your limbs relative to the rest of your body,
the position of your body relative to the earth and gravity, and interaction
with the skis and terrain." Your body automatically coordinates with stimuli
obtained from the immediate experience and turns them into physical action.

Movement intelligence &
proprioceptive trace

The key to creating what Chek
refers to as movement intelligence involves clients becoming consciously aware
of their movements, and of the information their bodies are absorbing. To do
this, stimuli is created to elicit a movement reaction through a variety of
tasks or exercises. As skill improves, more stimuli are needed to continue
improvement. This type of exercise planning involves integration of the mind and
body, combining balance, strength and quickness. The result is clients'
heightened ability to make spur-of-the-moment decisions about what their
capabilities are in any given situation.

A common example of loss of
proprioception can be seen in any athlete who is required to use the arms and
shoulders with precision, such as shooters, boxers, throwers (baseball),
archers, and even people who throw darts in the bar or shoot pool, says Chek.
For instance, he says, "After an injury to the shoulder joint, I have seen many
people complain of a loss of accuracy and performance, which I have corrected
using exercises to improve proprioception."

Have your clients try this: With
both arms, pick up a chair and feel its weight. Pick it up and set it down about
10 times. Then, pick up another chair that looks the same but is lighter.
They'll immediately notice how the body's 'memory' for tension kicks in. The
body expected to pick up the same weight, but didn't.

Proprioceptive trace is an
after-effect of the immediate proprioceptive experience. In this situation, the
body's memory kicks in to produce a certain predictable amount of force/effort
and doesn't need it. For instance, if you've ever gone backpacking with 40
pounds of weight, then removed your pack, you'll remember feeling feather-light.
For seasoned backpackers, the load does not impose much demand; therefore, they
experience much less proprioceptive trace.

Have your clients try this: Run or
walk on a treadmill for a lengthy period of time. Step off, and they'll
experience a surreal floating sensation as they continue to walk.

Proprioceptive adaptation

Activities that require balance,
coordination, agility and power, and movements that challenge clients' normal
range of motion, are great ways to cross-train for proprioceptive adaptation.

Balance. Balance is
the body's ability to right itself. It is improved with proprioceptive feedback.

Strength. The core
strength of the abdominal, back and gluteal muscles is the foundation from which
all movement originates. Strength is the catalyst of postural endurance -- the
ability to maintain core stabilization, balance and control.

Quickness. If your
clients have ever tripped and didn't recover their balance, perhaps it was
because they weren't physically quick enough to pull off a recovery. They can
improve their proprioceptive abilities by challenging their bodies to be more
reactive. The goal for training is to shorten the amount of time that it takes
to mentally react, and to physically move to accomplish the task. The ability to
move more quickly and powerfully stimulates more accurate transmission of
instructions from the nervous system to the working muscles, and recoveries can
happen with less effort.

Challenge your clients' bodies

Constantly repositioning the body
keeps it naturally aware of its surroundings. The movements aren't necessarily
planned, and success is based on stabilization, control and trials, not
necessarily reps and sets. Keep in mind that some of the most effective training
for body awareness takes place in more frequent, quicker exposures to
challenging activities, rather than long durations of "practice." Create
situations for your clients in which they can enhance their ability to sense
body positions and speed of movement relative to a fixed point, such as a foot
or hand. A good example is the classic drunk-driving test where you must touch
your nose with your head tilted back and your eyes closed.

Have your clients try these:

* From a hands-and-knees or
standing position, manually help a client achieve a specific degree of anterior
or posterior pelvic tilt, recommends Chek. Then have the client return to a
natural standing posture and close the eyes. From there, have them return to the
target position.

* Niederlander suggests using a
wobble board to challenge proprioception. Perform two-legged half squats. The
body's reactions to recover balance will produce movement oscillation through
the sagital, frontal and transverse planes. Count the number of times the edges
of the wobble board touch the floor while performing 10 repetitions. Fewer
touches indicate improvement.

* Kneel on all fours to perform an
opposite arm/leg raise with a round dowel running along the length of the spine.
Count the number of times that the dowel comes off-center while performing five
opposite arm/leg raises with each side of the body; perform 10 total exercise
repetitions. Fewer off-center dowel movements indicate improvement.

Chek also suggests that, by
reducing vision with any exercise and/or by using exercises that require
increased positional sense, such as with balance boards or exercise balls, you
can create nearly any type of proprioceptive training situation.

Enhancing proprioceptive
quality & adaptation:

The following exercises and body
systems have an effect on proprioceptive awareness.

* Movement for movement's sake
in any variety of movement patterns and ranges of motion with different
tensions/loads (i.e., dancing, tai chi, yoga).

* Traditional cardio, strength
and flexibility conditioning.

* Balance conditioning, eyes
open and closed.

* Rotational movements (not just
linear and lateral).

* Visual acuity: Use vision to
adjust movements when recovering balance. Instead of focusing downward, look
ahead to realign the head and neck.

* Auditory system: The inner ear
registers head and body movement like a built-in level. To function properly,
the head and neck must be situated over a balanced spine.

* Rhythm: Heart beat, breathing
patterns and even walking are rhythmic by nature. Have clients strive to feel
rhythm during sports and as they work out.

* Stance: Movements should be
initiated from an "athletic stance" (ankles, knees and hips slightly flexed) and
an upright posture. Stance is also referred to as the clients' "base of
support," or the distance created between their feet.

* Weight transfer: Bodies are
especially sensitive to weight changes that take place with stance or postural
shifts. Clients will feel weight transfer from the feet upward.

* Constant motion: Have clients
get a feel for constant, dynamic movements (versus static positions) as they try
the drills mentioned in this article.